Can-opener.



J. B. HOUGH.

CAN OPENER.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY30. 1908.

921,250. I Patented May 11, 1909.

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Prion.

JOSEPH BENJAMIN HOUGH, OF BATAVIA, NEW YORK.

can-OPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1909.

Application filed July 30; 1908. Serial No. 446,123.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, JOSEPH B. Houen, a resident of Batavia, in the county of Genesee and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Can-Openers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to can openers and more particularly to that class of o eners for loosening or unscrewing the meta lic cap of fruit cans or jars, and adapted for use with metallic cans. Can openers of this class have not been found wholly satisfactory be-' cause of their failure to properly grip the cap of varying diameters of cans if the parts become strained or worn. [ore to provide a can opener with means to compensate for the wear of parts and adjustable to various diameters of caps or can tops.

The object of my invention is to provide a can opener that will accom lish these results, and adapted for use wit metallic cans.

A further object is to provide means of holding the parts secure in their adjusted pos1t1on.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a can opener constructed according to my invention applied to a can cap indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the thumb nut removed and in a position as applied in unscrewing the cap.

ig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 33 Fig. 1. the gripping jaws.

Like numerals indicate like parts in each of the figures.

The numeral 2 indicates the handle or main body portion, provided at one end with the jaw member 3 and pivotally secured to the handle as at 4 by a rivet or like means. The opposite end of the handle is bifurcated as at 5 forming the cutting member 6 and Fig. 4 is a detail of one of fulcrum arm 7 adapted for use in opening metal cans. Located substantially midway and central of the handle I provide the slot 8 having the toothed or corrugated edges 9 and adapted to receive the stud 10 of another jaw member 11. This jaw member 11 as Well as the jaw member 3 have the depending flanges 12 provided with corrugations 13. The stud 10 is provided for a portion of its length nearest the jaw member with teeth It is desirable there' or corrugations corresponding with the corrugations of the slot 8, and threaded to receive a clamping thumb nut 14.

In the o eration of my invention the opener is p aced over the can cap. The flange 12 of the jaw member 3 engaging the outside vertical rim of said cap. The horizontal portion of the jaw 3 projecting a sufficient length so that for all sizes of cans for which the opener is adapted, the connecting point of said jaw and handle will be eccentric to the center of the cap to be removed. With the opener thus placed central of the can cap the jaw member 11 is moved 1n the slot in contact with the cap, and the handle moved slightly to bring the teeth of the stud in engagement with the toothed side of the slot, as in Fig. 2, the thumb nut is then tightened. The opener is now adjusted and ready for use to remove the cap. This is accomplished by moving the handle either to the right or eft according to the direction the cap unserews. It is obvious that as the handle is pivoted eccentric to the cap the j aw members will grip said cap, and cause it to unscrew. The jaw member being held against movement by its toothed engagement with the handle. The opposite end of the handle having the knife or cutting member 6 may be used for opening metallic cans.

The device is simple and chea in construction and easily and quickly app ied.

What I claim is: r

1. A can opener comprising a handle, a jaw member pivotally connected at one end of said handle, a slot formed in the handle, said slot having toothed edges, a second jaw member movable on said handle and provided with a toothed stud projecting through said slot and adapted to engage the toothed edge of said slot, and means for locking the said second jaw member and handle together. 2. In a can opener the combination ofa handle, a 'aw member pivotally connected to said hand e, said pivot connection being eccentric with reference to the can top center, a second jaw member movable on said handle, a serrated slot in said handle, a serrated looking stud of less diameter than the width of the slot and carried by the movable aw member and adapted to lockingly engage with said slot in the handle.

3. A can opener comprising a handle, a centric to the can top center, said jaw mem 1n jaw member pivotally connected to said b'ers having corrugated gripping flanges.

handle, said pivot connection being eccen- In testimony whereof, l the said JOSEPH tric vtlith reference to the can top ((lzentergil a i B. HOUGH, have hereunto set my hand. secon jaw member movable on sai han e, a 1 1 1 a toothed slot in said handle, a toothed stud JObbPH BLNJAMID HOUGH" on said second jaw member, and a binding W itnesses: nut adapted to lock the said second jaw' FRANK W. BALLARD,

member and handle together in position ec- ADELBERT W. DELANE. 

